Drive to track’s first Breeders’ Cup begins
LEXINGTON, Ky. – What figures to be the greatest month in the nearly 80-year history of Keeneland Race Course opens this weekend with riveting matchups in traditional features such as the Phoenix and Spinster stakes.
But wait, there’s more!
Indeed, you’d love to be paid a dollar for every time you hear “Breeders’ Cup” mentioned at the Keeneland meet, which gets away to a running start Friday with a 10-race card highlighted by two graded stakes, the Grade 3 Phoenix and Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades.
FallStars Weekend, the three-day opening to this historic meet, serves as the tip of the iceberg of what lies ahead. The 32nd Breeders’ Cup will be run here Oct. 30-31, marking the first time Keeneland has hosted the event, which was the brainchild of a Kentucky breeder, the late John R. Gaines.
Technically, the “regular” fall meet runs through Oct. 24 as a 17-day separate entity. Then comes “Prelude to the Cup,” a single program on Oct. 29, followed by the two Breeders’ Cup days.
Evidence of the impending Breeders’ Cup is plainly visible throughout the bucolic setting at Keeneland. The grandstand and clubhouse have been expanded with open-air stands that jut out from the permanent structure and toward the track, noticeably decreasing the available space on the trackside apron. Huge chalets have been erected throughout the campus; the saddling paddock has been tweaked for further beautification and functionality; two badly needed gates have been added for vehicular traffic; and numerous other changes are in place as constant reminders for what’s in store at month’s end.
Until then, fans and horsemen can immerse themselves in top-class racing action. Runhappy meets Work All Week in the Phoenix, and Untapable will square off Sunday in the Spinster against Lovely Maria in the first meeting of Kentucky Oaks winners in more than 15 years. Before and after, there will be all kinds of great racing to behold, including five graded races Saturday, led by the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, a $1 million race that attracted The Pizza Man, Bobby’s Kitten, Grand Arch, and Seek Again among a deep field of 13.
In all, eight races with Win and You’re In designations toward the Breeders’ Cup will be run during the first five days of the meet. Nine graded races will be run during the first three days, with a total of 16 stakes worth more than a combined $5 million during the meet.
The Saturday card will include an appearance by Wise Dan, the two-time Horse of the Year (2012-13) who was recently retired at age 8 after calling Keeneland home for most of his storybook career.
“We’re honored that Keeneland asked and happy the fans will get to say goodbye to him,” said Charlie LoPresti, who trained Wise Dan for owner and breeder Morton Fink.
The daily fare will be up to the usual Keeneland standards. Racing secretary Ben Huffman estimates purses could average more than $640,000 per day, which includes the Oct. 29 card and Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund bonuses. Last fall, field size averaged 8.44 horses per race, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if that number was surpassed this fall.
“We’ve got a lot of folks wanting to run their horses, so we’re expecting some outstanding cards,” said Huffman.
Unfortunately, the weather for opening weekend might not be as good as the racing. Following weeks of hot and dry conditions, rain and cooler temperatures came into this area early in the week, and the forecast was for more of the same through Sunday, with highs in the mid-50s and a rain chance of at least 50 percent each day.
Saturday marks the first “Blue Grass doubleheader” of the fall season, with the University of Kentucky hosting in-state football rival Eastern Kentucky that evening at nearby Commonwealth Stadium, Also, the first-ever weekday home game for UK is set for the night of Thursday, Oct. 15.
Kurt Becker, the only race-caller Keeneland has employed since a public-address system first came into use in 1997, is back for his 38th meet.
First post daily is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with earlier posts set for Oct. 29-31.
TVG will provide extensive coverage throughout the meet.